


Feathers

by EmeraldsAndAmethyst



Category: Earth-12041 (Marvel), Nova (Comics), Spider-Man - All Media Types, Ultimate Spider-Man (Cartoon 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Wings, Bisexual Male Character, Bullying, Not Beta Read, One Shot, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV First Person, Past Abuse, Pre-Relationship, Queer Themes, Soulmates, Team Dynamics, Teenagers, Wings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:28:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27304153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldsAndAmethyst/pseuds/EmeraldsAndAmethyst
Summary: (Past abuse and bullying mentioned, bullied queer character coming to terms with being queer so minor queerphobic content)Wings are your soul. Everyone says so. I think that's garbage. I mean, sure, they're not exactly made of muscle and bone. But so what. There's plenty of things in the Galaxy that are made of other stuff.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	Feathers

**Author's Note:**

> Incase you're unfamiliar, in the episode Ultimate Deadpool it is mentioned that Deadpool was the former team leader before Spider-Man. I think this could probably be read with only a passing familiarity of Ultimate Spider-Man. Sam and Peter are the same age is the big difference between 616 and 12041.

Wings are your soul. Everyone says so. I think that's garbage. I mean, sure, they're not exactly made of muscle and bone. But so what. There's plenty of things in the Galaxy that are made of other stuff.

Dad's wings are dark green, barred with blue. Mom's are bright greens and yellows. Kae's wings are obviously still baby wings, black like her hair. My own wings have been the same green of my eyes since I was eleven. It was early. But I don't care (that's a lie, I care so much, my stupid wings were just one more reason for Karl and his racist friends to bully me). But I really don't care because I'm finally getting out of Carefree! Mom grounded me after I'd accidentally been gone for three months instead of three days like I'd planned for. In this case **literally** grounded me. Totally unfair! But then Director Fury himself showed up and offered me a spot on his new team! 

And now I'm here in New York City! Well, here in the SHIELD Helicarrier which is over New York City. Same diff. Deadpool is a fun team leader, he's got a lot of hilarious stories to share and is a badass on the field. He gets through training faster and better than any of us. And he likes me! Even White Tiger likes me! Like, she's always mad at me but it's not serious? She never picked a fight outside of training, and doesn't even really insult me either. No one does! No one picks at me for being a 'space nerd' or 'math geek' and yeah I'm still getting to know everyone but it's so awesome! They do tease me about not knowing apparently basic history or geography but once I became Nova I had so much more to learn about than Earth junk I'd never need. So it's annoying but nothing as painful as Carefree had been.

When Deadpool leaves it really sucks. But Director Fury doesn't immediately pick out a new leader. I dunno why. I mean, obviously, I'm going to be the new team leader. I've actually been on a team before, after all. And I was Deadpool's fave. But White Tiger is so sure she's going to be the leader. We get in fights now, real fights. It sucks.

When my wings change I don't even notice right away. They're always the same blue as my Nova force when I'm suited up, how could I? But once I see the rusty red I get a mirror and spend so much time admiring them then Danny starts teasing me. These are the colors of my soulmate. My soulmate.

I don't know how I feel about that.

There weren't too many people I could have run into the day they changed. Some villains way older than me, **ew**. And I guess a bunch of SHIELD Agents that maybe weren't as awfully older than me. Maybe. Though I don't think we touched? And they all had their soul colors I'm pretty sure? There was Spider-Man, but no way. I mean yeah before I met him I'd have been beyond stoked! But now that I have? No way.

Hadn't I rescued some civilians? It must have been one of them!

….

"Sam! Your wings, man! They've changed!"

"Yeah, I guess. Can we not though?"

"Woah Sam, were your wings so colorful yesterday? I think you were suited up all day. Did it happen last night?" Ava asks. 

"C'mon guys. Stop it," I groan.

"Your wings are strong. Comforting in a way. I am eager to meet the owner of these colors," Danny offers. I guess trying to cheer me up in his own way. Man, Ava is so lucky being the only girl. I never had to share my room with my little sister and sharing with Danny sucks. Not that I don't like Danny or something! I just miss my privacy.

"Yeah, I am, too. _Flark_. How am I supposed to find them again?" I groan.

"Didn't Batroc kick Spidey into you? Maybe it was him?" Luke asks. No _flarking_ thanks.

"No way is his Soulmate Spider-man. Don't even joke." Ava says. I appreciate it so much. Even though I know she's just crushing on him still. Even though he's a total jerk. Don't meet your heroes, ugh.

"Dude, he's too full of himself to even join our team. Seriously. It's probably one of those people I saved. I think a few of them were our age." I insist. No way. Life isn't so cruel, right?

"It is certainly possible," Danny says. Exactly! 

"Besides, Spidey and Nova have to have had run into each other before today, right? We've been tasked to keep an eye on him for almost a week now." Ava reasons.

"I dunno man, maybe," Luke says, skeptical.

"Yeah, Ava's right. I've had to've run into him before yesterday," I say. I'm not exactly sure but that's gotta be right.

During break I fly off into orbit and talk to Worldmind.

"Worldmind, when did my wings change?" I whisper to my helmet's Worldmind. Maybe it won't know...

_|when spider man crashed into us|_

"I'm not. _Flark_ . I can't! I like girls _das't_ it!" I hiss. It's not possible! I seriously like girls! Carrie was, hell still is, beautiful. And Ava has got it going on in the looks department! And— 

_|bisexuality is an option_ |

"No one asked you!" I snap. 

Bi.

I can't be bi. I know what it is, but it's not me. I mean. Everyone likes everyone right? Everyone is nice to look at, it's just the girls you talk about. That's, that's normal. I spend way too long thinking. Danny is hot. But like, everyone with eyes can tell Danny is hot. Like hello, kung fu dragon man muscles. Duh. Luke is real big and buff. He's definitely got the beefy guy thing going for him. Girls totally are into that. And being tall. He's super tall. Like, I'm not done growing okay, and his massive pecs are just right there in my face. I'll be at least as tall as Danny though, for sure.

I bring my wings around to stare at them. They're Nova Force blue right now. But they **feel** different. There's a lot of stress right now, if I focus hard enough. Huh, I'm pretty far away, must be a cray amount of stress. I don't like it. My soulmate shouldn't be feeling so terrible! But there's not much I can do from here.

"Spider-Man…" I say. It feels all too right, the wings seem to thrum or something. I glare at them. They'd been starting to turn pale, almost deathly white at the tips before today. It's creepy looking but it's from the Nova force. Dad's wings were dead-soul-white on the edges. I definitely remember asking him about it like all the time.

Soul wings are so weird. And it's all their fault that I'm even having to freaking deal with being told by my dumb Worldmind that I'm into guys when I'm totally not!

They're completely useless for normal wing things, like flying. And definitely ultra annoying trying to superhero and hide your wings. Maybe it'd be easier if they took dyes. But nothing stays long enough to be good. I spread out the 'primary' feathers and then relax them again. 

"I'm not gay," I mutter. Being gay gets you beat. Even worse than being latinx. Only… no one really seems to care here? It's been three months and the worst that happens is training. Ava is always on me about turning in lessons but like… "I like girls."

Deadpool had been so funny and fun. He'd always been weird but good weird, teasing me about my butt and saying— 

"Oh man, did Deadpool have a crush on me?!"

I really need to stop talking to myself, but it's kinda hard when most of the time I have Worldmind with me. Also that's… that's just… I don't even know how I feel about that. 

I don't know.

When I get back I still don't know. And during SHIELD lessons I actually try and pay attention just to stop having to figure out how I feel about being crushed on by a guy. 

"Has anyone ever had a crush on you?" I blurt out at lunch like an idiot. The rest of the team stares at me like my wings are on fire or something. "I mean, you know, like dudes."

"Are you asking me, Space Case?" Ava finally says. Her wings are still brown as her eyes, I wish my stupid wings were still green. Ugh.

"Well yeah but like, not just you, White Tiger. Uh like, Power Man, Iron Fist, have you ever, you know, had a guy crushing on you?" I say, trying to make them stop looking at me.

"Maybe. I dunno, no one ever said anything if they did," Luke tells me. Well, great. That's not helpful.

"The heart wants what the heart wants," Danny tells me. As if that explains anything. His wings are a super sick red. It's awesome. But he never answers any questions about them directly.

"Yeah okay sure, but what if what the heart wants is another guy. Like, what then?" I have no idea how any of them are so calm about this!

"Yeah, okay. This is clearly not about me so I'm out," Ava declares.

"What? No! It's totally like! You can't like girls!" I blurt out. She might not be from Arizona but she speaks better Spanish than me and Puerto Rico is basically like honorary Latin America. Right?

"What," Ava says claws snapping out.

"Perhaps prudence is in order," Danny says. 

"Why would we go to Rhode Island?" I ask, confused.

"Hold up. White Tiger, calm down. Nova, you need to stop pulling the tiger by the tail here and just, man, just spit it out. You got a crush on a guy. I'm pretty sure I speak for the team when I say we literally could not care less about your awkward man crush," Luke declares.

"What?! I'm not gay! I'm not! I was talking about Deadpool! He totally had a crush on me! Maybe. I mean. He like, kept talking about my butt. That's uh, that's gay," I try and explain.

Ava pulls her claws back in and sits back down.

"Sweet Christmas, are you just now realizing this?" Luke says. He sounds… disappointed? What?!

"Pay up," Ava demands, holding her hand out to Luke.

"Did you bet on me being gay?!" I shout, hurt and terrified of being kicked off the team.

"As if, loser," Ava says, rolling her eyes. I can totally tell by the way she tilts her head.

"Man, I thought for sure you two were making out. Way to go Sam, can't believe I thought you had game," Luke tells me.

Making out?! Me and Deadpool?! It's so ridiculous I literally can't even get the words out!

The day doesn't get any better. We run into Spider-man again and he's still an absolute tool. 

_This is my soulmate? Seriously?_

| _yes this is who was touching you when your wings changed|_

It's terrible and awful and I have no idea how his hot body is going to make up for his awful attitude.

_I just thought Spider-Man's bod is hot! God. Maybe I am gay._

_|as i believe i mentioned before, bisexuality is an option|_

  
  


_… Yeah. Yeah I guess it is._

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not entirely sure if I should tag Ava, Luke, and Danny in the character tags or additional tags as the fic isn't about them but they do all have speaking parts. If any of y'all have advice I'm much obliged.


End file.
